Travels with Ruth

Travels With Ruth, small trips

2025-07-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hello, and it feels good to be writing in this blog. This was my most successful blog and it was a fun one to do because of our travels. I still travel from time to time but they are shorter trips and mostly over weekends. However, I do make to California every year in November. I have see some incredible local places and even went on another cruise to the Bahamas. Most of my traveling has been with a Teen Choir from my church that I help with. The past three years we did a Nashville tour, a Kentucky tour and we just returned from a Pennsylvania tour; Gettysburg, Hershey, Intercourse (Amish) and Washington DC. A lot was seen in seven days. Maybe I will share my past travels. I look forward to sharing again as I travel Until next time, stay cool!

Not Traveling Yet!

2021-04-17T14:53:00.001-07:00

Hard to believe that this blog is almost 10 years old. I will not be traveling anytime soon. I definitely will not be traveling in an RV anytime soon. My husband passed away in 2019 and so the RV and the Little Cabin on Wheels were both sold off. I am living back in Florida and even though I have been traveling (a very little) some day I will travel again and when I do I will pick up where I left off here. So, until then, thanks for following my travels and if you need some travel tips check out my old postings. See the USA while you can and when we open up again from the COVID stand still.

Hey, It’s Me Again!

2019-07-02T18:15:00.002-07:00

Just an update, almost a year later, and I have done a little traveling. I went to California last November for a long week end and then in June I went on a Southern European tour with 26 other teens and adults. We visited Cairo, Vienna, Geneva, Rome, Athens, Atlantica, Bavaria, and Albania and did it all in 8 days. We never even left the country but instead went to Georgia for our tour. It was a fun trip with a great bunch of kids and adults. Last week end I went to Orlando for the week end to Sea World. This week I am headed to Tampa to go to Busch Gardens. I have another big trip planned in November so look for an update after that.

On Hiatus

2018-08-25T03:54:00.000-07:00

Travels With Ruth will continue but it is going on hiatus for a while. I am living back in Florida again and I am starting a new chapter. I have returned to Middleburg, I am back with family and friends, back at my church and I am going back to work. I look forward to traveling again someday but until then I have created a new blog and I hope you will follow it. It’s called “What A Day And Why”. The website is: whatadayandwhy.blogspot.com
Thank you for following this blog. We had a great time on our travels and we will have more!

Creating Door Prizes

2018-07-10T04:29:00.001-07:00

It is that time again for Pam’s SAS and this time I only created two door prizes and Pam did two. She is having a pretty big group and since the new catalog came out in June all the stamp sets used for the door prizes are brand new. So are the colors and accessories. There are some great sets out there and now it will take some time to get the ones I want. Patience, it just takes patience. Good luck at your SAS Pam!

Happy 4th!

2018-07-04T04:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday America! You are looking pretty good for being 242 years old. We do have a great country and if we all worked together (Democrats & Republicans) then maybe this country would be even greater. So on this 4th of July I hope you all have a wonderful day of celebration. Please be safe out there!

Decorated For The 4th Of July

2018-07-03T05:49:00.001-07:00

Jenny decorated her ladder for the 4th of July and it looks great. The string Art star on the ladder rung is one I did. I am glad she liked it enough to put it on her ladder! The staircase has an added touch with Rory in the picture! ❤️ Hope your 4th is great and safe!

Oakleaf Tennis Tournament

2018-07-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

Oakleaf had their very first Tennis tournament this past week end and Jenny participated in it making it her very first tennis tournament. The tournament was a two day event that started Friday night and ram all day Saturday. The participants in the tournament each played three matches during both days. Jenny played with a new partner for this tournament and they did well but did not win. They were competing against higher ranked players but held there own until the end. Nice job Jenny and Sandy!

Freedom Fest

2018-07-01T04:42:00.001-07:00

Last night we attended an event we use to do with the girls several years ago. It is fireworks at the Orange Patk mall except it is bigger now. What started as just fireworks in the begining is now a full festival starting with Homemade Gifts and Crafts in the mall during the day to an outdoor stage featuring local bands before the headliner comes on. This year Craig Morgan performed. There were food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, a train ride a car show and local merchants booths. At 9:15 the fireworks started and they were really good this year. It was a fun night and even the weather cooperated. The rain never happened even though the radar showed it was going to rain and the temps fell into the 70’s.

Adventures With Rory

2018-06-30T03:27:00.001-07:00

Rory played hoodie from school again yesterday and we spent the day having adventures or as Rory calls them “abbentures”. She was up early and we played Go Fish then I taught her a new card game Old Maid. She loved it and we ended up playing it for over an hour. After breakfast Rory and I headed to the park. She rode her bike all the way to the park nd back. It was a hot morning so we did not play at the park for long but what we did do is swing. She kept wanting to go higher and higher. The harder I pushed the higher she went and the louder her laugh got. We met friends for lunch at Texas Roadhouse. Rory loves opening up the peanuts but doesn’t like to eat them so she gives them to me. After lunch she took a long nap then we headed over to Oakleaf Tennis Club to watch Jenny play in her first tournament. She had one match last night and three today. After the match we had a late dinner with friends at Chili’s. It was a full day but a good one!

An End Of The Toy Store

2018-06-29T02:45:00.000-07:00

At one time there were several different toy stores. One by one they started to disappear but the constant seemed to be Toys ‘R’ Us until yesterday. Toys ‘R’ Us closed their doors for their final time yesterday. It was a sad day for children and adults. It was especially sad for me since I had a 20 year career with Toys’R’ Us. It was not Walmart or Amazon that took down Toys’R’Us it was stupid management that got over wrought with debt. When Toys’R’Us went private in 2005 most of the stores owned the store and the land which made Toys’R’Us very attractive to the Reality company that bought Toys’R’Us. They used those assets and put the money elsewhere and got into so much debt that the stores could no longer support it. In March they filed for bankruptcy and the decline began. The executives got their money before bailing and left their 30,000 plus employees stranded and without severance or benefits. The end of Toys’R’Us is truly sad for everyone and come this Christmas it will really be missed. I am proud to be a Toys’R’Us kid and am thankful for the memories I will cherish and my Toys’R’Us family. RIP Toys’R’Us 1948-2018; you will be missed!

Speaking Philadelphian

2018-06-28T05:23:00.001-07:00

While we were in Philadelphia I came across a book that teaches you how to speak Philadelphian aka talking Philly! The book was actually very funny and I had so much fun trying to say the words that I thought it might be fun to share. So here is lesson one on how to speak Philly! See pictures to the right for added help. “Did you eat yet?” = “Jeet?” City Hall is pronounced Siddy Haw. Crayons are pronounce Crowns and wishing someone a Happy Birthday is Happy Birt-day. Radiator is
Rad-e-actor and a Library is a Liberry. Practice those words and soon you will sound like a Philadelphian too. Look for lesson two tomorrow!

A Park Visit Is Key To A Good Tennis Lesson.

2018-06-27T04:39:00.003-07:00

We got to Rory’s tennis lesson a bit early so we decided to go to the park that is near the tennis courts and play a little bit. We may have to do the every day she has a lesson because she did really well at her lesson and listened and followed directions better than she had before. After her lesson we went back and played again at the park before heading to school. It was a hot morning but that did not bother Rory. She just had fun and so did I!

Creating A Tennis Lesson

2018-06-26T03:19:00.002-07:00

Jenny has a bartering system for tennis lessons. The pro she takes lessons from has a small pro shop and he ordered merchandise from Jenny from time to time and it doesn’t cost either of them money because they barter. Jenny gets exposure in his shop and gets tennis lessons for herself or Rory. It is a good deal all around. Yesterday, I helped get Jenny or Rory more lessons by making some club water bottles for a camp the pro is running. It didn’t take too long and it let me work with Cricut. A win for all!

Celebration Sunday & Making Cards

2018-06-25T04:14:00.001-07:00

My day started early at church. The Chancel choir was singing all three services. I left for church at 7:15 and at 8:00 the first service started. It was Celebration Sunday at church and this time it was Patriotic. We honored our military and our country. All three services were great! After Celebration Sunday at church I had the afternoon to myself since Jenny & Nate were out four wheeling with their jeeps and Rory was spending the afternoon with her PaPa & Krissy. I spent the afternoon making Thank You cards for a friend of Jenny’s who is like a daughter to me. She had a tragedy and needed thank you notes so of course I would help. It was a good day!

It Was A Pool Day

2018-06-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

It was a very warm day and at 8:30 in the morning it was already 89 degrees we knew it was a pool day. We went early so we could get a good spot. The community pool at Pine Ridge is very nice. The pool is huge with a big slide, a wading in area with sprinklers and a big bucket that fills up with water and dumps about every 3 - 5 minutes. There are four shelters with tables and chairs and lots of lounge chairs all around the pool. We wanted a shelter because we also brought breakfast and lunch for the pool. Melissa and Kinsley joined us and Rory and Kinsley had a great time. We were in the pool for well over three hours and needless to say we never felt the heat while at the pool. By 9:00 it was already in the 90’s. We left the pool at nap time and both girls fell a sleep right away and slept for nearly three hours. It was a fun day and a perfect way to combat the heat!

Jurassic Park Fallen Kingdom

2018-06-23T05:35:00.001-07:00

We went to see a matinee yesterday at 10:00 and saw the movie Jurassic Park Fallen Kingdom. It was good and very action packed. You will not be bored in this movie because it is pretty much non stop action. It does continue from the previous movie but you really do not have to see it if you haven’t. It is a family friendly movie and I think everyone will like it.

Cleaning Up After Tour

2018-06-22T04:39:00.002-07:00

So now that the TLC Tour is complete there is one thing that needed to be completed and that is cleaning up after Tour. Someone has to do it because there is a lot of loose ends and bins to be taken care of. On tour we take a lot of bins that are full of lots of things. There is a prop bin, lots of food bins, a hospitality bin, litterbug bins, supplies bins, entertainment bins and then there are the coolers, several coolers! We try to save some money by fixing meals on your. This year we had a lot of sack lunches. I am naming this the cold cut tour due to the fact that we had so many cold cut sack lunches. I am not complaining just pointing it out. Anyway, Kim, Doc and I got everything to the house where it is all stored when not in use. We reorganized a few things and got everything put away. Thank you Kim and Doc! Now Tour is in the books!

Nate’s 30th Birthday

2018-06-21T05:33:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my son in law’s, Nate, Birthday yesterday. He turned the Big 3 0! He did have to work on his Birthday but we had a mini celebration last night at Mission BBQ with friends and family and a bigger celebration is going to be Saturday night with more friends. Rory greeted Nate with a huge Happy Birthday followed by the biggest hug ever. Jenny made Nate a Keto friendly cheesecake and we sang happy birthday. The cheesecake turned out pretty good. After the cheesecake and Rory was in bed Nate played some video games with friends. Nate had a good day!

Rory’s Tennis Lesson

2018-06-20T02:56:00.000-07:00

I was a bit more tired than I realized from the TLC Tour and so I took yesterday off from posting due to that and Rory’s Tennis lesson. Monday I spent most of the day unpacking and doing laundry and yesterday was a day of rest along with Rory’s tennis lesson. It was early in the day (8:30) and was only a half hour long which is good because it was already hot! Rory and her friend Emmy are sharing the 1/2 hour with tennis pro Andy to get them both interested in tennis. They both look so cute in their tennis outfits and they both really try. Andy is teaching the fundamentals and eventually they will get them down. They both love their lesson and really enjoy when they get to throw the balls at Andy.

TLC Tour 2018 Is Completed!

2018-06-18T05:18:00.001-07:00

The 8th and final day started quietly as it was a late night the night before. The TLCs slowly got up, ate breakfast and got ready to sing in the Sunday morning at First Presbyterian Church in Florence, SC. What a beautiful church and very welcoming. They have an excellent facility and welcome groups all the time. After the service we quickly packed up the bus and hit the road. We have sack lunches on the bus thinking we were going to need every minute to get home to Orange Park by 6:00. We did well and got to Jacksonville too early and had to waist time to arrive by 6:00. There is a tradition when the bus arrives with a banner to drive through and the church out their cheering the TLCs arrival. It is a great way to return from tour followed by a pot luck dinner and the a home concert. I was greeted by Jenny, Nate, Rory and Carrie and was so happy to see them. Tour has ended but the memories made will live on in the hearts of all the participants. Thanks Doc for another great tour. Tour #15 is in the books!

Day 7 & Happy Father’s Day!

2018-06-17T04:13:00.001-07:00

Day 7 was a fun day all the way through. We left Charlotte and headed to Carowind Amusement Park for the day. Carowind is unique since half the park is in North Carolina and half the park is in South Carolina. It features the Peanuts characters and has several thrill rides and a great water park. It was a bit warm, 93 degrees with humidity but once you were on a ride or at the water park it didn’t really matter. We left the park around 3:00 and headed to Florence, SC to stay at First Presbyterian Church where we had out tour ending banquet honoring our graduated seniors. This years theme for the banquet was patriotic and Brenda did a great job with the theme and decorations. Thank you Brenda! There was a great Italian meal followed by a talent show and then the famous paper plate awards were given out. I had the honor of winning the gymnastics award due to my fascinating flip on the bus. After the PP awards we were given out tour crosses from Doc and the seniors were given their senior crosses. It was ended by a devotion by Holly, who has done a fantastic job with devotions all week long, thanks Holly. It was a late night, banquet usually is but we all settled down by 1:30. Day 7 was fun!
I do want to take this opportunity to with all the Dads a Happy Father’s Day especially to Tim, Nate and my two dad’s Warren & Edward. Happy Father’s Day!

Day 6 Of Tour

2018-06-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

Acter our stay at the hotel we are rested and clean and ready for Day 6th of the tour. It was another bus day with a 6 plus hour drive to Charlotte but many of us were excited for the chance to see Charlotte. I have flown in and out of Charlotte a few times but never seen the city. Before we hit Charlotte we had a Yahtzee game going along with uno and another card game on the bus. Some just slept. I did provide some brief comedy by gracefully, not, flying and sliding forward on the bus when the bus driver SLAMMED on his brakes. He avoided an accident and I was standing at the time so there was no fault by anyone just a brief bit of comedy because I was okay. We got to Charlotte and walked around briefly then headed to the Epicenter to eat dinner. We at at the Red Eye Diner and it was good. After dinner we took a brief ride to University Place Nursing home where the TLCs put on a great concert for them. Afterwards we headed to Springhill Suites for our second night in a motel. We ended our evening with a devotion and the kids settled down pretty good. Day 6 has ended!

Day 5 Work Project

2018-06-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

Day 5 started with a quick pack up and go with breakfast on the bus. We knew we were going to encounter Philly traffic and we were on a tight schedule so we had to start early. We drove southeast to Newport News, VA to the Menchville House, a homeless shelter for families where they can stay up to 30 Days and get the help needed to get a home, car, job, etc. We did some painting for them in 5 rooms then we cooked for the residents and gave them a concert before we left. Kim and I were fortunate enough to get an entire tour of Menchville house which really taught us a lot. After we left Menchville House we headed to a mall where we had some free time to shop. We then headed to Comfort Suiyes for our first of two motel stays. It was nice to sleep in a bed and take a shower. The kids loved the pool and were very creative making up their own synchronized swimming routine. It was a good day and the TLCs did a great job at the work project. Day 5 is done!

Day 4 Philly Style

2018-06-14T03:18:00.001-07:00

Day 4 began with visiting downtown Philadelphia. We split into three groups to tour the city. We visited Liberty Tower for a view of Philadelphia from uptop then headed to the Historic district to see the Liberty Bell, through glass, and Independence Hall. Unfortunately all the tickets were gone to see both so we checked out the outside of the areas then headed over to Reading Statuon Market to get something to eat. I got a Philly Cheesesteak and it was good! The market was packed but it gave us all a chance to experience city life at lunch. I will say everyone in Philadelphia is so nice and friendly, Ibgues it really is a city of brotherly love. We then headed to the Comcast cetnter for a group picture then loaded the bus and headed back to the church to get ready for the concert. The outdoor amphitheater is great and the TLCs did the best show yet. We then had ice cream with our hosts and a devotion at the labyrinth in their cemetery. The fireflies were everywhere which made for an even better experience. Thank you again Hopewell UMC for an amazing visit. Next stop, Newport News, VA.